Yusuke Kodama
Yusuke Kodama |height = |weight = |birth_date = |birth_place = Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan |resides = |billed = |trainer = Yoshihiro Tajiri |debut = April 23, 2010 |retired = |website = }} is a Japanese professional wrestler and currently works for Wrestle-1. In Wrestle-1, Kodama is a former two-times Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Champion and UWA World Trios Champion. Kodama also was in an excursion, where he worked at the Mexican promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group, where he participated in the Copa High Power Internacional Torneo Cibernetico. Professional wrestling career Smash (2010-2012) Yusuke Kodama was trained by TAJIRI and was set to debut in Hustle in September 2009; unfortunately, HUSTLE was forced to cancel all the upcoming shows due to economic issues, so Kodama followed TAJIRI to the newborn Smash. Kodama made his professional wrestling debut on April 23, 2010, at SMASH.2, against Hajime Ohara and lost. As is customary for most professional wrestlers, Kodama spent most of his matches losing to other, more experienced wrestlers, which would help put over other wrestlers while at the same time give Kodama some in-ring, televised, experience. Kodama would take on some of Japan's great wrestlers such as Taka Michinoku, AKIRA and Último Dragón. At SMASH.8, on September 24, Kodama picked up his first win ever against Atchii, another young wrestler. In 2011, Kodama would begin to win more matches, including defeating experienced veteran Akira Shoji. At SMASH.18, on June 9, Kodama participated in the Smash Championship tournament but would be eliminated in the first round by Big Japan Pro Wrestling's Shinya Ishikawa. Kodama would go on a three match winning streak in early 2012 which was ended at SMASH.FINAL, on March 14, when SMASH's biggest success, KUSHIDA returned and defeated Kodama. SMASH closed after the event. Wrestling New Classic (2012-2014) On April 5, 2012, TAJIRI announced the follow-up promotion to Smash, Wrestling New Classic, which would hold its first event on April 26. At WNC Before the Dawn, Kodama debuted and teamed up with Lin Byron to defeat Aki Shizuku and Koji Doi. At WNC Starting Over, Kodama and Byron teamed up with Último Dragón to defeat Josh O'Brien, Tomoka Nakagawa and Yoshiaki Yago. On May 26, Kodama teamed up with YO-HEY to take on the reunited Unholy Alliance (TAJIRI and Mikey Whipwreck) in a hardcore match which the Unholy Alliance won. Kodama would return to his jobber status, continuing to lose to more experienced opposition to gain experience. In the semi final of the Kito Cup 2012, Kodama teamed up with Daisuke Harada and Hoshito Takahashi to lose to Jiro Kuroshio, Lin Byron and Tsubasa. With Ohara and AKIRA turning their back on WNC, TAJIRI and Kana requested the aid of Kodama for a short period of time in August. TAJIRI and Kana would continue to lose at the hands of AKIRA and his followers and therefore replaced Kodama with the returned Mikey Whipwreck. On November 26, Kodama entered the WNC Championship tournament, but was defeated in his first round match by Tommy Dreamer. Thus far, 2013 seems to be no different from past years, Kodama continues to lose regularly but picks up the occasional victory. In Mid-2013, Kodama turned on TAJIRI and the WNC Seikigun and jumped to AKIRA's Synapse stable. On June 18, 2014, Tajiri announced that WNC would be going inactive following June 26. Effective July 1, six former WNC wrestlers, Kodama included, transferred over to the Wrestle-1 promotion. Wrestle-1 (2014-present) Kodama made his Wrestle-1 debut on June 27, 2014, defeating Hiroki Murase in a singles match. The following month, Kodama came together with three other former WNC wrestlers; Jiro Kuroshio, Koji Doi and Rionne Fujiwara, to form the Novus stable. In September, Kodama took part in the Wrestle-1 Championship tournament, where he made it to the second round, before losing to Masayuki Kono. In November, Kodama and Doi represented Novus in the First Tag League Greatest, a tournament to determine the inaugural Wrestle-1 Tag Team Champions. The two finished last in their block with a record of one draw and three losses. Novus was effectively dissolved on December 22, when Doi turned on the stable to jump to the Desperado stable, while Masakatsu Funaki took Kuroshio under his wing. During the same event, Kodama ended his rivalry with Yasufumi Nakanoue, leading to the two forming a tag team together. On April 30, 2015, Kodama announced he was leaving for an indefinite learning excursion in North America, starting with a three-month stay in Canada. He returned to Wrestle-1 on July 1, 2016. On August 11, Kodama defeated Kotaro Suzuki to win his first title, the Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Championship. On December 7 Kodama, Andy Wu, Daiki Inaba, Jiro Kuroshio, Seiki Yoshioka, Koji Doi, Kumagoro and Kohei Fujimura formed a stable named NEWERA. On December 9 Kodama lost the Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Championship to Mazada. On February 22, 2017 Kodama, Fujimura and Inaba defeated Shuji Kondo, Manabu Soya and Nosawa Rongai to win the vacant UWA World Trios Championship. On April 9 Kodama, Fujimura and Inaba lost the UWA World Trios Championship to TriggeR (Masayuki Kono and Shuji Kondo) and Kaz Hayashi. On July 12 Kodama left NEW ERA in order to align himself with Shotaro Ashino. Then Kodama, Ashino and Seigo Tachibana formed a stable named Enfants Terribles. On October 21 Kodama, Ashino and Tachibana defeated NEWERA (Jiro Kuroshio, Koji Doi and Kumagoro) for the UWA World Trios Championship. They lost the titles to Koji Doi, Kumagoro and Takanori Ito. On June 13, 2018, Kodama defeated Seiki Yoshioka to win Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Championship for the second time. On April 20, 2019 Kodama lost the title to Andy Wu. Other promotions On August 24, 2010, Kodama made his New Japan Pro Wrestling debut teaming up with fellow débutante Kazuhiro Tamura and were defeated by Ryusuke Taguchi and Taichi at NEVER.1. Kodama returned to New Japan in April 2012 and participated in Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament and was eliminated in the first round by Black Tiger. In 2011, Kodama toured Osaka Pro Wrestling between the months of May and June. He made his debut on May 14, teaming up with Zeus to defeat Black Buffalo and Naoki Setoguchi. For the remainder of his tour with Osaka Pro, Kodama would win and lose an equal amount of times. In the spring of 2012, Kodama would create the 14k persona, whenever he competed outside of Wrestling New Classic he would wrestle under the name 14k wearing a mask. He would debut this persona when he made his debut for Mexican promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group, teaming up with Douki and Secret Sasuke losing to Argenis, Fénix and Super Fly. He also participated in Copa High Power Internacional Torneo Cibernetico which was a 16-man Mexico vs Japan match which Mexico won. At Tenryu Project he participated in the MIZUCHI Tournament and lost in the semifinal to Kengo Nishimura. In wrestling *'Finishing moves' **''Cervical Break'' (Running Corner Forearm Smash) **''Mad Splash (Frog Splash) **Corkscrew moonsault **''Zero-Sen Kick (Leg lariat) **''BK Buster (Lifting Inverted DDT) *'Signature moves''' **Backdrop **Superkick **''Topé con Hilo'' (Somersault topé through the second and top ropes) **Tornado DDT Championships and accomplishments *'Wrestle-1' **UWA World Trios Championship (2 times) – with Daiki Inaba and Kohei Fujimura (1) and Shotaro Ashino and Seigo Tachibana (1) **Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Championship (2 times) **Wrestle-1 Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Shotaro Ashino References Category:Wrestlers Category:SMASH Alumin Category:Wrestle-1 Roster Category:WNC alumin Category:NEWERA Category:Novus Category:Enfants Terribles